COVERT WRITERS TAKEDOWN by Joe Bergeron (best beach reads txt) 📕

New York City and Washington, D.C. when
directional signs for Philadelphia began appearing.
A conversation with Robert Wirtham was two
and one half hours away in the nation’s Capitol on the
third floor of the Rand Building in the offices of JGM
exports. Wirtham was a man he respected, and
mistakenly trusted.
It was in Burlington, Vermont, on the campus
of the University of Vermont where Courtney studied
his metaphysical major and had learned the application
of The Laws under Wirtham’s tutelage. In his senior
year, five days prior to graduation, his professor had
asked him to lunch following the final Laws exam.
While passing one of the exits toward the city
that was home to Independence Hall, he let his mind
retrace that day eleven ears ago.
His professor smiled slightly as they walked
toward the student union along UVM’s maple-covered
south campus.
“How did you feel about the exam?”
“You embarrassed me by putting my corollary
on it.”
In five days, Courtney would become the
youngest American ever to earn the honor and
designation of ‘Master of Physical Laws’ due to not only
a four point zero cumulative grade point average, but
also because his First Law corollary had been accepted
a year earlier by the National Collegiate Committee of
Laws Professors, and the following year had become
part of the National Physical Laws curriculum.
“Then you should get at least one question
right.” They laughed climbing the steps to Bennington
Hall housing the student union.
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Courtney sat opposite Wirthim at one of the
seventeen round, oak tables in the snack bar. The
professor, a tall, lanky man reminded him of Abraham
Lincoln without a beard. Wirthim noticed Courtney’s
preoccupation as he randomly allowed his right index
finger to trace the myriad chronicles carved in the table
top by lovers, idealists, and people who liked to see four
letter words in print.
“Everyone wants to be immortal, don’t they
Michael.”
He indicated his tracing finger with strong
brown eyes.
“This was all done by the journalism majors,
professor, they’re always looking for a format.”
He was relaxed, and glad his exams were over.
“That’s an interesting comment, because
journalism is what I needed to speak with you about.”
The professor’s eyes were plumb with his
student’s. Courtney could see he was serious. He’d
been taught by this man to recognize and analyze a
person’s presence. He made no comment, however,
because he knew that the professor understood he was
being analyzed - it was an intellectual standoff - and
neither of them felt uncomfortable with it. What he
didn’t know at the time was that Wirtham was better at
it than he was.
Wirtham continued as he opened a plain
manila folder he’d brought from class.
“Michael, I have here a copy of the supporting
statement you wrote to support your First Law
Corollary last year. Would you mind if I read part of it
to you?”
The question was asked as if the answer were
already known.
Courtney acknowledged affirmatively.
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“Your Corollary reads, ‘Nothing Will Happen
Until You Cause Something Else To Happen.’ You make
the case that in the original Law, one could apply it
either inductively or deductively to gain an advantage,
to stabilize a situation, or to improve something that
already exists. In your Corollary you state, and I’ll
quote you…’But it’s only through intuitive analysis with
inductive reasoning that real newness is created. Any
analytical process in induction is never an afterthought
to intuition, but the application of the First Law is too
broad to allow this. There is opportunity for deductive
logic and personal opinion to become woven together
with facts in the First Law. When personal opinions
are expressed, or even alluded to as part of the facts,
there exists the possibility for erroneous assumption,
and more dangerously, false, or unrealistic conclusions.
Therefore, we must create for the First Law an
inductive Corollary, a model that gives us a straight
line to pure creativity by separating inductive reasoning
from personal opinion and facts.’ I’m sure you
remember all this, Michael.”
Carefully replacing the profound document in
the folder, he folded his hands on top of it.
Courtney shifted in his chair.
“Do you want me to apply the Corollary to
journalism and give you an opinion?”
“Yes, I want your opinion.”
“I think journalism is too protected. The First
Amendment allows editors and reporters to write
almost whatever they want without reprimand. I don’t
know of any other industry that more flagrantly abuses
the First Law more than the newspaper industry.
Editors and reporters constantly weave deductive logic
with their personal opinions - so they end up letting
their readership draw conclusions from information
with little substance in a lot of cases. Radical groups
love this stuff. They can turn and twist articles to fit
their needs, imposing someone else’s supposed
endorsement on their cause. 38
That’s how they gain followers - it’s almost like
having a triple-A feeding system in baseball - and they
get it for free.”
He hesitated - he’d made his point but he could
tell the man seated across from him was looking for
more.
“I guess I have to say though that newspapers
like THE WASHINGTONN POST, THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL, and THE NEW YORK TIMES have some
staff writers and editors that are extremely precise, and
don’t inject personal opinion into deductive logic. I’ve
read some great articles in these papers that have a
strong sense of purpose and meaningfulness. I think
the newspaper industry would consume itself without
writers like these.”
Pausing, he hoped he’d begun striking a
responsive chord.
“Professor Wirthim…”
“Michael, in five days you’ll graduate - we’ll be
peers - even though I consider you one now - you can
begin addressing me as a friend.
“…Do you want me to call you Bob?”
He chuckled… “whatever you feel comfortable
with - my friends call me Robert.”
“OK, Robert. I just gave you my brief on the
newspaper industry. Now, can you tell me why we’re
discussing this topic?”
Wirtham considered the young man before him.
He’d have to be careful. Courtney was the best he’d
every taught, a student with great intuition and
insight.
A year earlier, he’d accompanied Courtney
when he’d made his proposal of his First Law Corollary
before the National Collegiate Committee. Twelve
professors of Metaphysics sat silently for one hour while
the undergraduate defined and defended his
statements. Acceptance of any Corollary, or amendment
to the Physical Laws by this Body was rare.
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Most new proposals in the form of either
corollaries or amendments were presented by
experienced philosophers twice his age. In addition, the
aggregate of new knowledge presented in these
hearings was usually addresses in the form of
deduction, or intuition and deduction, but seldom, if
ever, as pure induction.
Following the handsome student’s discourse,
the committee Chairman had asked Wirtham to
approach him.
“How long has this young man been with you,
professor?”
“Three years now, sir.”
“Do you realize he’s asking us to accept a
purely inductive model of the most basic Law?”
“Yes sir, I do.”
The Chairman, removing his glasses, had
placed them on the closed document before him, and
had glanced left and right at his fellow committee
members.
Each of the additional eleven scholars had
simply shook their heads from side to side.
“Mister Courtney, would you please stand
before this committee?”
The formal address and request wasn’t usually
made in an initial meeting.
“Young man, at this time you’re theory for a
corollary to the First Law has no refutable testimony
from either myself, or any of my colleagues. I can speak
for all of us, and tell you, that today, we believe you
have added a new dimension to the body of
metaphysical knowledge…we salute you, Mister
Courtney - you’ll hear from us further on this.”
Wirtham returned to the present hearing
Courtney’s voice.
“Robert, why did you ask me about the First
Law Corollary and journalism?”
40
“I’m sorry, Michael - I was lost in thought for a
moment.”
He understood - having had many similar
experiences.
“You recognize the name McKenzie Industries,
don’t you?”
He thought for a second…
“Aren’t they an OEM? They manufacture
electronic equipment.”
“Yes - McKenzie’s Chairman, Patrick
McKenzie, is a close friend of mine. He and I have been
involved in an undertaking for the last eleven years…”
Over the next hour, Wirtham described to his
student an organization known as Yankee Echo - why it
supported certain causes, and it’s present need for a
Master of Physical Laws as the number three man in
its ranks. He gave him as much as he thought he
needed to know to get him to take the position. He also
withheld more than he told him.
Courtney listened intently, hardly moving
during Wirtham’s elaboration.
He finished with a request, asking Courtney to
join the organization.
He’d work out of Boston College where he’d be
a teacher of Physical Laws, and teaching only The Laws
three days a week.
His salary, paid by JGM Exports, was a lot
more than he thought he’d make following graduation.
“That’s it, Michael. Yankee Echo needs a TAO
XIA Master, and we want you to take the job. I’m going
to get us a couple of cheeseburgers and Cokes. Think
about what I’ve told you for a few moments.”
Backing his chair out, he left his student alone.
When he returned, he found him writing on the back of
the manila folder.
As Wirtham approached the table with their
lunch, Courtney sensed his return.
41
“Robert, I’ve thought about what you’ve told
me, and I’m writing a response. I’ve agreed to accept
your proposal, but I want you, and Mister McKenzie to
understand I’ll have one condition of acceptance and I’ll
need both of you to agree on it. I also have a couple of
questions.”
He looked up at his professor
“That depends on the condition, what is it?”
He pushed a well-done cheeseburger and a
medium sized Coke in his direction.
Wirtham, although Courtney’s Senior by
twenty-six years, allowed himself to become a
subordinated listener.
“Because I know you, Robert, I’m not surprised
you’re a part of this organization. I think it’s brilliant,
and challenging. You have it structured so you’re only
at very serious risk of exposure by five people - your
Managing Agents. However, at some point in time,
Yankee Echo is going to meet an injurious occurrence
from risks you might not have considered. At least I
didn’t hear any sustaining argument to support the
consideration of these risks.”
Lifting the cheeseburger for a bite, he held it in
one hand, and used the other to sip the Coke.
“From what you’ve told me, there’s three
systems in your organization. The original system is
just you, and Mister McKenzie - this is fine. Your first
sub-system is composed of you, five Managing Agents -
and now me. Your risk has increased by six hundred
percent, but it’s still a low risk. Your second sub-system
has six hundred writers, and even though they don’t
know each other, your risk in this system is
unjustifiably, and exponentially compounded. A risk
analysis would tell you you’ll have a breach in your
system in the next eight to twelve years. The Leverage
Effect, and the Second Law have to catch up to you at
some point in time. Also, the breach will likely come
from within the organization.
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Actually, this will work to your advantage,
because you’ll be able to identify it more easily. OK,
here’s my condition, Robert. When the breach occurs,
and it will, I would want control of the organization
until we have remediation. My intention would be to
develop contingencies estimating the probability of
occurrence for all the unacceptable results of any
breach. I’ll also detail a plan to either eliminate or
discredit the breach, and then to reestablish control of
the organization. That’s it…if and